Life as a UF Telecom Student

As you have probably already read in some of my other posts, I am majoring in telecommunications at the University of Florida.  I’m going to put this very simply for you: being a telecom student at UF is awesome.

There is so much you are able to do if you study communications at UF, which has one of the best Journalism and Communications colleges in the country.  Florida provides a very hands on learning experience as your class schedule requires you to do work for real media outlets associated with University.  Since I became a telecom major I have been a reporter, anchor, and show host ESPN Radio 850/900, WUFT-TV, and Florida’s 89.1 WUFT-FM.

Studying at the UF College of Journalism and Communications also provides students with excellent networking opportunities.  Everyone one who has graduated from Florida is proud to be a Gator and they are usually willing to help fellow members of the Gator Nation.  The relationships I’ve formed since I have been here have allowed me to get internships with rivals.com and WFTV.

Telecom sports reporting class in the 21st Century Newsroom.

Within the the last few years UF CJC has also developed its Center for Media Innovation and Research, or better known as CMIR.  The CMIR allows students to learn and use the latest technology and methods to report/produce news in different ways whether it be online, television, radio, or print.  THe CMIR also features the 21st Century Newsroom which is probably one of the coolest looking classrooms on campus.

Giant map in the 21st Century Lab!

 

Clocks with times from around the world create a real newsroom feel in the 21st Century Newsroom

Just this past fall me and my fellow students have been able to work in the UF’s Integrated News Facility, or the INF as us students call it.  The INF is without a doubt my favorite place on campus, probably because I spend as much time in it as I do at my own apartment.  Just kidding, but it’s pretty close.  The INF is a professional-type newsroom at Weimer Hall that houses the CJC’s radio, web, and TV properties.  UF was the first school in the country to create something like the INF.  It’s an awesome place; if you ever get a chance to visit UF, check it out.

Some of the stuff I have written about on this blog, like UF’s Pro Day, I was able to cover because of the opportunities offered at the University of Florida.  The university has an awesome communications program and anyone considering a career in the field should try to study here.

Blogroll!

So a couple of weeks ago I told you all about some of my friends’ cool blogs.  Well, today I ask that you check out the rest of my classmates awesome blogs:

Alex de Armas

Alexandra Morales 

Angelina Perez

Beth Odom

Carolyn Brewster

Chip Skambis

Fernanda Ponce

Isatou Saar

Jennifer Mesika

Juliana Valencia

Kaitlyn McGrath

Kareem Sandy

Kim Ortiz

Kristen Botica

Lauren Lettelier

Lindsey Zionts

Madison Kirby

Ricki Albritton

Michelle Williams

Sam Kerrigan

And there’s also a bit of sports news to share today.  Our beloved Yankees shortstop, Derek Jeter, has a crack in his surgically “repaired” left ankle and won’t be playing until after the All Star Break.  Sad, sad day in the Yankees Universe 😦

Review: The Tipping Point

For one of my classes we were required to read a book called The Tipping Point, by Malcolm Gladwell, a former reporter for The New Yorker.  The book was very unique and interesting.  It is based around one idea: explaining how a small idea within a small group of people can become social epidemic, or a much larger idea/concept that is known, understood, and believed my many.

Gladwell uses three “rules” to explain to the reader what “the tipping point” actually is.

He starts off with the Law of the Few.  The law is a concept which posits that there are only a few people who can really cause a tip in the social atmosphere: Mavens, Connectors, and Salesmen.  The Maven is someone who pays attention to all the small details and small tidbits of information that can be found in life.  People rely on the Maven because of all the specific information he/she knows about a variety of topics. The Salesman is someone who is very persuasive and can convince you to support an idea or thought by making you realize it can affect you personally. And lastly is the Connector, which does exactly what it sounds like it does, make connections.  The Connector is someone who knows a large number of people and tries to become friends with everyone they meet.  Their ability to meet and talk to people makes them very influential.

The next rule is The Stickiness Factor.  Gladwell uses kids shows like like Blues Clues and Sesame Street as examples to explain this idea.  He basically says the Stickiness Factor means an idea is so popular and memorable that it naturally just sticks in people’s minds, and there are certain ways to portray information so that people are more likely to remember it. For example, Sesame Street teaches children simple concepts about the alphabet or math that they will use and never forget.

Gladwell’s last rule is the Power of Context.  In order to explain this concept Gladwell uses the Bernie Goetz subway shooting as an example.  Crime was becoming a big problem on New York City, especially on the subways, and Goetz shot four kids who tried to mug him on a subway. Many people viewed Goetz as a hero instead of accepting the fact that he all also committed a crime himself.  Goetz was found not guilty of all charges except one for an illegal possession of firearms.  In summation, the context of situation can greatly influence the way people perceive it.

All in all I thought the book was very interesting and a good, insightful read.  It made me really think about what makes a social trend or popular thought become so well known and supported.

More of my friends that do cool stuff

I recently told you about a bunch of my classmates that have sports related blogs.  Now I’m going to tell you about some of my friends who blog about entertainment and news.

My friend Jillian Baach is also a huge sports fan and will probably make a darn sports reporter one day, but her blog is about entertainment.  Jillian tells us about the latest movies, TV show episodes, and internet trends and gives us her opinion of them.  She also tells us what it’s like trying to keep up with her favorite TV show while having an insanely busy schedule, which I’m sure a lot of us can relate to.

If you’re really into television and movies you should also take a look at Lindsey Zionts‘ blog.  Lindsey’s blog is awesome.  She analyzes TV shows and tells us how ridiculous, unrealistic and flawed pretty much every one is.  She explains to us no shows, not even “reality” shows portray reality accurately, but for some reason people always enjoy watching them.  Her blog is really interesting and gives you an interesting perspective on entertainment.

And finally, if your less in to entertainment and more in to hard news check out Alex de Armas‘ blog.  Alex is one of the best news reporters/anchors at the University of Florida and in Gainesville.  She shows you some of her news stories and some the experiences she goes through as a reporter.

Check out my friends

If you read this blog you probably like sports because that’s pretty much all I write about.  A bunch of my friends blog about various sports topics as well and you should check them out.

My fellow classmate and sports reporter Katie Gillen has a really interesting sports blog.  She writes about her opinions on the latest sports topics and her experiences as a sports reporter, but adds an interesting twist by also telling you about awesome meals she makes herself and those she tries at sporting events.  It’s awesome. Check it out.

After you get hungry reading Katie’s blog you should take a look at my buddy Michael Cadigan‘s blog to remember why you should work out after you stuff your face. Michael, or “Caddy” as we call him, writes about exercise tips and also sprinkles in some sports opinion about some of his favorite teams.

And finally, my friend Jana Jones has a blog all about Lance Armstrong and his performance enhancing drug scandal.  She tells you some background information on the Armstrong story and provides the opinions of herself and others on the scandal and the cyclist himself.

All of the friends I mentioned are aspiring sports reporters and provide links to their work on their blog, so make sure you gave that a look as well!

Robert Lopez- Biography

As you can tell, I am a New York sports fan.  That’s because I was born in New York and lived there until I was 14 years old.  I became interested in sports at a young age because my dad was an avid New York sports fan and always had games on our television.  Once I made my first trip to Yankee Stadium when I was five, I knew that I wanted to have some type of career in sports when I got older.

However, as much I love sports, I did not play them very much.  I played baseball and football as a kid, but to be honest, I was pretty bad at both of them.  Needless to say, I knew that a career as a professional athlete was not in my future and that I would have to find another way to get into the sports business.

Once I got to college at the University of Florida I decided to go the pre-med track so I could become an orthopedist.  About two years later I realized I hated science and that all I wanted to do was become a sports reporter so I could talk about sports and get paid for doing a ridiculously fun job.

As soon as I got involved in the communications field I tried to partake is as much volunteer work and internships as possible.  I have worked, and still currently work in sports/news television and radio, and in online media as a writer for Rivals.com.  This summer I will continue to add to my resume when I intern at WFTV in Orlando.  I also enjoy writing blogs like this so that I can give my opinion on sports topics about my favorite teams, the Yankees, Giants, Knicks, and Florida Gators.

I will be graduating from UF in December and I hope to find a job at some sports media outlet soon after that.

My Resume

If you read my About Me you know I’m a college student and I’m trying to get a job in sports media when I graduate.  So, here’s a look a my resume and all of my experiences in the sports media field.

Robert Lopez Resume

Derek Jeter Returns

New York Yankees shortstop Derek Jeter  will return to the field Wednesday night for the first time since breaking his left ankle in game one of the ALCS last October.  Jeter will be the starting shortstop for the Yankees tonight against Philadelphia Phillies at George Steinbrenner Field in Tampa.

The Yankees captain was the designated hitter in the Yankees last spring training game against the Atlanta Braves, but he has not played the field since injuring his ankle five months ago.

I’m very excited to see how Jeter performs in the field Wednesday night.  According to his interviews he is one hundred percent healthy and should be back to full playing form.  With his work ethic and playing resume, I’m sure he will perform at the high level he has played at for the last 18 years.

However, with the injuries the Yankees have sustained this spring, plus the steroid rumors surrounding New York third baseman Alex Rodriguez, it’s hard to determine how much of an impact Jeter’s return to the team will have on the Yankees lineup.

Florida Gator Pro-Day

If you remember from my last blog post about the 2013 NFL Combine, I had said that I wanted the Giants to draft Florida’s hard-hitting junior safety Matt Elam.

I was able to attend Florida’s Pro-Day this past Tuesday as a member of the media, and after that experience I can assure everyone that Mr. Elam will not be wearing the Giants blue. A Giants scout was in attendance, but he did not seem nearly as interested in the Elam as other teams.

Pittsburgh Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin made the trip to Gainesville and it seemed liked he was there to see Elam, and only Elam.  Tomlin watched the safety very closely during position drills, and afterwards he and Steelers GM Kevin Colbert had a conversation with Elam and his mother.  I overheard part of the conversation, when Tomlin said something along the lines of, “Our DB coaches really like you.  We wanna get you stretched out and see what you can do.”

Elam also had conversations with scouts from the Titans and Bears.

Just so you know, the Steelers and Titans both pick before the Giants in April’s NFL Draft.

With the interest Elam received from Pittsburgh and others, along with the lack of interest from New York, I think it’s safe to expect the former Gator to be with a team other than Big Blue come next season.

NFL Combine

The 2013 NFL Combine is drawing to a close.  After watching the event for the last few days there are several players I would most definitely like to see the New York Giants draft.

Big Blue obviously needs some help in the secondary; that was quite evident after the unit was depleted because of injuries last season, which forced the coaches to call up guys from the practice squad.

I might be a little bias because I attend the University of Florida, but after watching the combine I really want the Giants to pick up former Gator safety Matt Elam.  He doesn’t have the ideal height for a pro safety, but he’s a hard hitter with a lot of energy, which is something the Giants need.

Matt Elam Combine results from NFL.com

I would also LOVE for the G-men to draft former LSU cornerback Tyrann “Honey Badger” Mathieu.  Mathieu clearly has some red flags after failing drug tests and being arrested for possession of marijuana, but he has been trouble free for a while and sounds like a changed man in his most recent interviews.  His football talent cannot be questioned either; he was the Bednarik Award winnner and a Heisman finalist two seasons ago.

While the Honey Badger sat out the entire 2012 college football season, he did not look rusty at all during the combine on Tuesday.  His 40 time was excellent and he drew high praise from Hall of Fame cornerback Deion Sanders.

Tyrann Mathieu Combine results from NFL.com

I think Elam and Mathieu could really help Big Blue offensively, but obviously the Giants need to do more than just address the needs in the secondary.  They also had issues in the linebacker corps and along the offensive line, and they will have to replace some players they have already released this off season.

Giants offseason moves

However, as I have said before, the Giants have arguably the best run team in the NFL, so I am sure they will draft and sign the right guys.